With just over a week to go before Iberanime returns to Matosinhos, we already know what’s happening in every corner of Exponor. The official map and complete schedule for the October 10–11 event are available on the event app for anyone who wants to plan their weekend down to the last detail.
Anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, music, and Japanese culture will once again fill the venue of what the organizers describe as the country’s largest celebration of Japanese pop culture.
What’s new at the venue
The big news is a Gaming Area, featuring PlayStation games, competitions, and a space dedicated to Just Dance. There are also changes to areas the public is already familiar with: the Artists’ Village has been renovated, the Otaku Market has more stores, and the area for TCG, board games, and Dungeons & Dragons has been expanded.
On the first floor, three new areas are making their debut: a Workshop Room, a Mental Health Space, and a Safe Room —a sign, according to the organizers, of a greater focus on the comfort of diverse audiences.
Workshops and drawing
In the Drawing Zone, the manga and illustration workshops are led by Patrícia Costa, Diogo Cidades, Valori, nosheltergirl, Luís Figueiredo, and Joana Rosa, and cover perspective, character design, digital anime illustration, and the creation of a manga page.
In the new Workshop Room, not everything is about anime: there are sessions on Shiatsu, Kyusho, Reiki, dance, folding techniques, and hand-sewing for cosplay, repeated on both days.
Three stages, two days
The program is spread across three stages. Among the guests already announced is Spanish cosplayer Anhyra Cosplay.
Iberanime Stage
It’s the stage for cosplay and competitions, featuring contests such as the Iberanime Kids Contest, Cosplay Spotlight, Group Cosplay, Cosplay World Masters, and the World Cosplay Summit. It will also host the JoJo Pose, Anime Music Video, and Asian Pop Dance contests, as well as appearances by guests and creators like the Super Senpais.
Nissan Stage
Here, the focus is on music and dance. This stage will feature performances by Japanese artist Masatoshi Ono, the vocalist behind “departure!”, the theme song for Hunter × Hunter; Japanese singer-songwriter SERRA, making her debut in Portugal; and Brazilian artist AC Raps. Also taking the stage will be Heart Gun, a Portuguese K-pop dance cover group; Noodles Monster; Para Para Dance performances; and the Dub Challenge, one of this year’s new additions.
Japan Stage
It’s the space most dedicated to Japanese culture. Among the scheduled sessions are a Japanese language class, a conference on living and studying in Japan, a live-action role-playing game (RPG) based on *One Piece*, a discussion on the partnership between the character Tony Tony Chopper and Doctors Without Borders Portugal, and another on misinformation on social media. On Sunday, the highlight will be the world premiere of episode 9 of *Nuhcleus*.
Discounts for travel to Matosinhos
The organizers have once again arranged special travel deals for those coming from out of town. CP is offering a 30% discount on Intercidades, Regional, and InterRegional trains bound for Campanhã for round-trip journeys made between October 9 and 12. On the days of the event only, there’s also a special €3 round-trip ticket available on Porto’s Urban Trains.
For those who prefer to take the bus, FlixBus is offering a 20% discount on its entire domestic Portuguese network for trips taken during the month of October. Find out more about these discounts on the Iberanime website.
Useful Information
📍Where: Exponor , Av. Dr. António Macedo, Leça da Palmeira, Matosinhos
📆When: October10 and 11, 2026
🎟️Tickets: starting at €18 (children) and €25 (adults) per day, during the current sales phase
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